Quite simply, I'm challenged every day to so something different. As a professional services firm, obviously client interaction is the primary job and it's fascinating to me to interact with myriad different kinds of people of companies. The firm does all kinds of client service work, so there's probably some kind of interesting work for anyone interested in the firm. Excuse me if I sound a little "rah rah Deloitte" but the firm takes good care of me and lets me do work I enjoy with people I respect and care about. "The people" is something Deloitte uses as a selling point in recruiting and I do beleive it's more than just hype. The people at Deloitte are bright, motivated, team players. I've worked on a multitude of different projects and made good friends internally at every one. I also have to give special mention to the internal feedback system. Professionals at every level are encouraged to use a formal scorecard system to get feedback from their colleagues about what they're doing and how they can do it better. The scorecards are an invaluable tool for improving job performance.

Cons

This kind of work isn't for everyone. It took me 6 months in the firm before i really found a kind of work I enjoy, and nearly half of the recruiting class I started with have moved on within 2 years. The hours can be long and the travel times can be high. You have to be willing to be a mobile worker. I don't have a desk of my own, and whenever I'm in the home office, I have to reserve space ahead of time.

Advice to ManagementAdvice

Senior management does a good job of obfuscating the promotion and compensation adjustment processes. While the feedback process is outstanding, it's hard to tell how that translates back into promotions and raises.

Working at Deloitte offers practitioners business experience across multiple industries, an opportunity to learn new skills quickly (on the job experience), and highly interesting work opportunities that can change as often as once to four times a year as you move from project to project.

Cons

As with any big 4 consulting firm, practitioners are expected to put in long hours, travel to client sites (car or air travel), which can be difficult on families.

Advice to ManagementAdvice

more timely feedback to employees, more mentorship, and more recognition that is NOT based on office nominations...

Professional growth is the main reason to join a company like Deloitte. With the amount of trainings and varied on-the-job experience, it makes Deloitte truly a great place to grow. Promotions are pretty straight forward: If you work hard and get recognized for it, you'll get promoted (2 years until Senior, 4-5 years until Manager). There are very few jobs out there that give you this experience to see different companies and understand how they run their businesses. Especially for young professionals coming straight out of college, it's rare to find a position that will grant you this much responsibility at that age. Overall, this is a great place to start your career.

Cons

Work-life balance can be a joke at times as Managers have been known to pressure people to work during their vacation time. Also, you will meet your fair amount of social inept people. The hours worked REALLY vary based on your clients. I know some people who work insane hours while others are coasting their way through. Working long hours does not necessarily mean you will be recognized for them all either.

In this age of accounting/consulting competition among the big firms, companies offering services to clients are in a constant battle to cut their budgets to sell their work. This ends up hurting people at the lower levels who have to complete the same amount of work originally planned but in less time just so we can make ourselves more financially competitive. I have heard stories of Managers / Sr. Managers asking their staff to "eat hours" (i.e. not report total hours work) just so they don't have to increase the costs of the engagement.

As I stated before, Deloitte is a great place to start your career. This is not to say it's the best place to stay though. I've seen many Managers depressed from the time it has taken away from their family life. Keep in mind that when you start a job like this, you'll potentially have to travel a good amount.

Advice to ManagementAdvice

A few main points:-Never ask your staff to eat hours. If you sold a service for a set number of hours, you better be ready to live by it. Don't damage your reputation with your staff and the client because of it.-Learn to appreciate the people around you. Deloitte's system is set up in a way that promotes criticism and areas of improvement and fails to congratulate staff on a job well done. Even a simple "Thanks for your help on this" can go a long way.-Focus on hiring people with more soft skills. I have come across many people who are intellectually gifted, but lack strong social skills. In the industry of financial services where you're putting people in front of the client, make sure you'd feel comfortable with that person leading an interview.